Posted News Archive

Spring 2008 – Fall 2009 News (most recent first)

Wildcat Staffers Honored at Awards Reception
Nearly 100 Daily Wildcat staff jammed the patio May 2 at Old Chicago on Campbell Avenue for the annual awards reception (once known as a banquet, but now downsized). Students enjoyed platters of appetizers and salads and pizzas while cheering on awards recipients. A dozen Daily Wildcat Alumni Awards were meted out–recognizing graduating seniors and their contributions to the paper on behalf of generations of Wildcat alumni. Staff awards were also presented for excellence in a range of fields, from reporting to sales, from photography to accounting, from design to customer service.

The winner of the 2009 George Morley Award for Achievement in Advertising and Business was Harry Lex, an account exec. Harry has been one of the paper’s top sales reps for the last two years and broke into our operation as a classified ad rep.

Lance Madden, sports writer, was honored with the 2009 Clyde Lowery Award for Professionalism and Integrity in Journalism. Lance has also served as sports editor and editor in chief of the Summer Wildcat.

Gabrielson, Giblin win Pulitzer Prize
The 2009 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting was awarded April 20 to alumni Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin for their 5-part series on Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arapaio that ran last year in the East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) The Pulitzer committee praised Gabrielson and Giblin for “their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff’s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crimes and other aspects of public safety.”

Reinesch Scholarship WinnerKourtnei Briese, a junior marketing major, has been named the 2009 winner of the Christopher Reinesch Enterprise Scholarship. Kourtnei has been an advertising rep at the Wildcat for the last 3 semesters. The scholarship is worth $1,000.

Established in 2005 by Chris Reinesch — himself a former Wildcat ad rep — the Reinesch Enterprise Scholarship recognizes an outstanding junior or senior in the Wildcat’s advertising or business areas.

Daily Wildcat Alumni Reception Coming Up in Phoenix
Daily Wildcat alumni living in the Phoenix area will get the chance to re-connect April 30, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., at Coach and Willie’s, 412 S. Third St., Phoenix. Tom Collins (’98), Dave Cieslak (’01) and Mark Woodhams (director, Arizona Student Media) will host. The evening includes a cash bar and light hors d’ouevres.

Daily Wildcat Named Best in Region
The Arizona Daily Wildcat has won first place as “best college daily” in the Society of Professional Journalist’s Mark of Excellence awards for Region 11. The award was presented at the SPJ conference on April 4. Region 11 is particularly competitive because it includes the California schools, not to mention ASU. The Wildcat came in second place last year for this award. Reporters Lance Madden and Bryan Roy also earned first place in the SPJ competition for breaking news coverage (Lute Olson’s resignation and stroke). First place winners compete for a national Mark of Excellence award.

Two Wildcat Alums Win Polk AwardRyan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin were named winners Feb. 16 of a 2008 George Polk Award for their 5-part series on Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio that ran in the East Valley Tribune. The series exposed Arpaio’s campaign against illegal immigrants. The Polk Award, one of journalism’s top prizes, honors a CBS reporter killed covering the Greek civil war in 1949.

NJ Press Association Awards former Wildcat reporter
Former Wildcat reporter and news editor Lisa Rich ’06 has won first place for enterprise reporting in the New Jersey Press Association’s 2008 awards contest. Lisa, who until recently reported for the Trenton Times, won for her story “Family kept in dark about death” — an investigation into unclaimed bodies in a New Jersey morgue.

Wildcat Alumni Gather in Tucson

About 150 Daily Wildcat alumni and guests turned out Nov. 8 to induct a new class into the Wildcat Hall of Fame and honor a group of young alumni for their accomplishments. Held at the Marriott Hotel near the UA, the reunion was a lively gathering across the Wildcat generations and included a number of Wildcat families and children–as well as at least 6 Wildcat couples (couples who met at the Wildcat and later married).

The venerable Don Carson ’54 smoothly emceed the Hall of Fame inductions. Daniel Scarpinato ’04, a political reporter for the Arizona Daily Star, and Wildcat adviser Mark Woodhams presented the Young Alumni Awards.

Chris Reinesch, who helps manage his family’s Phoenix-area company Southwest Rocks Products, established this scholarship 4 years ago. Thanks, Chris!

The Graybeard Award Lives OnThe brainchild of former EIC Brett Fera, the Graybeard Award was first presented last year “on behalf of all former editors of the Wildcat” to recognize a graduating senior’s “sustained achievement” on the paper. This year’s winner was Tom Knauer, a 5-year veteran who served as sports editor, copy chief and news editor during his time at the Wildcat.

Seniors Take Home Alumni Award14 Wildcat seniors were honored at our awards reception with a Wildcat Alumni Award. These awards, established in 2002, are given on “behalf of the alumni of the Daily Wildcat to recognize career excellence on the paper.” Candidates generally have worked at least 2 years on the Wildcat. This year’s honorees: